SAN ANTONIO — For the second time in three years, Victor Wembanyama had to stand and watch another team celebrate a championship on his turf.
There is no question the Wemby era has arrived in the NBA. The 7-foot-4 French phenom swept the Defensive Player of the Year voting unanimously this season, landed third in MVP consideration, and earned a first-team All-NBA selection — the first of what could be many if his plans come to fruition.
But the one thing he wants most continues to slip away. Back in 2024, he watched through tears as the United States celebrated Olympic gold at the Paris Games. Now, he had to endure a similar scene as the New York Knicks popped champagne in San Antonio on Saturday night, winning Game 5 of the NBA Finals to claim their first championship in 53 years.
“This is the biggest lesson of my life, the biggest learning moment,” the 22-year-old said. “I can’t tell you exactly what the lesson is, but we’re learning from that, for sure. I’m learning more than any other time in my life before.”
Wembanyama’s Finals numbers were impressive — 26 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 3.6 blocks per game — but they weren’t enough to bring home a title.
The series will also be remembered for some critical miscues. In Game 2, a Wembanyama turnover set up the go-ahead free throw for Jalen Brunson, and he also missed a buzzer-beating jump shot in that same contest. In Game 4, he missed two key free throws with 1:47 remaining as San Antonio squandered a 29-point advantage — the largest collapse in NBA Finals history. The Spurs threw away double-digit leads in all four of their losses, including a 16-point cushion in the series finale.
“The margin of error is very thin,” Wembanyama said. “Our domination stints are absolute. We absolutely dominated for most of the series. But our errors, our mistakes, are punished so hard that we can’t have ups and downs like this. … The ups are OK. The downs are the reason we lost.”
Still, this is only his third year in the league. History shows that even the greatest players had to wait for a title. Michael Jordan went seven seasons before winning his first ring. LeBron James waited nine years. Jerry West played 12 seasons before earning his only championship. Hall of Famers John Stockton, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Chris Paul, and Carmelo Anthony never won one at all.
Knicks legend Larry Johnson offered high praise for the young star during the series. “He’s definitely the future of this league, man,” Johnson said. “He’s a heck of a ballplayer.”
Wembanyama is well aware of that history. That doesn’t make the sting any easier to bear.
“It’s painful. It’s painful,” he said. “But I’m not running away from that. I’m using it to fuel me. … I’m not satisfied with not winning. But as I said, this is the biggest lesson of my life. As a team, there’s no better experience than what we just lived.”
The numbers he is putting up are nearly unprecedented. Only four times in NBA history has a player recorded at least 150 blocks, 150 assists, and 100 three-pointers in a single season. Chet Holmgren did it for Oklahoma City in 2023-24 — and Wembanyama has done it in each of his first three seasons, accounting for the other three instances.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver spoke glowingly of the young star on Saturday. “I think for a lot of people, this team seems to be ahead of schedule,” Silver said on NBA TV. “I don’t think they feel that way. I’m amazed at Victor. Not just his play on the floor, but he’s such a curious young man. He’s a pleasure to talk to. He’s very worldly. I mean, he’s got amazing interests off the floor. He’s really dedicated to his craft and he’s got such a bright future ahead of him.”
